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Paris D. Wicker, Ph.D.

Educational Researcher | Contemplative | Vocalist

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Paris Wicker Awarded 2026 NAEd/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship


May 14, 2026

Abstract: This project expands preliminary research on the social support networks of Black and Indigenous students to advance a quantitative critical social network analysis (QuantCritSNA) methodology on how the evolving social networks of college students associate with student well-being, academic success, and sense of belonging. Analyzing 800,000 cross-sectional responses from the Healthy Minds Survey over a 16-year period, the first aim of this project is to map and typologize the evolution of help-seeking and social support networks of undergraduate college students in the United States between 2007-2023. Using social network analysis and multi-linear modeling, the second aim is to test associations of social network changes that influence group-level well-being, sense of belonging, and academic performance. As loneliness and shrinking social networks increase, relational frameworks that create equitable conditions for all students to thrive remains a top priority for colleges. Leveraging the predictive power of exponential random graph modeling (ERGM) and multi linear regression models, findings from the study will establish descriptive trends and associations on the underlying network pathways and structures that potentially shape traditional academic outcomes (such as GPA) and also liberatory or health-promoting outcomes (such as well-being and sense of belonging) over time.

https://naeducation.org/awardee/paris-wicker/



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